Apparatus for shaping cardboard tubes.



J. W- PATON.

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING CARDBOARD TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGmN. D. c.

l lhl 1 TE STATg PATENT JAMES WALLACE EATON, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING GAR-DBGARD TUBES.

Application filed November 29, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES VVALLAOE PATON, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residingat Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, in thekingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Apparatus forShaping Cardboard Tubes, of

vhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for shaping circular tubes ofcardboard or like material into tubes of a permanently altered shape incross section.

According to this invention, I take circular tubes of cardboard or thelike. One way of producing these circular tubes is by winding papersuitably coated with adhesive in a number of convolutions around asuitable rotating mandrel, from which mandrel the finished tube isremoved in any suitable manner, but this does not form a part of thepresent invention. When these cylindrical tubes of cardboard or likematerial have become hard or have set, they are by the present inventiontransformed in shape by subjecting them to a shaping and heatingoperation between a central mandrel or male die, and a co-acting outertubular former or female die, while under intermittent longitudinalmovement, both the said dies starting at the entrant end with a circularcross sectional outline, and gradually changing until at the exit endthey correspond to the cross sectional outline it is desired the tubesshall present, a free space being left between the two dies corresponding to the thickness of the tube blanks. This has the effect of not onlytransforming the shape of the tube, but also of compressing andsolidifying the fibers of the cardboard or like material, so that whenthe tubes come out at the exit end, they have by means of these diesbeen strengthened and made more rigid, and this is in my view the onlypossible solution of the problem of satisfactorily transformingcardboard or like tubes into tubes of different shape.

The apparatus by which the circular tubes or blanks are transformed intothe shape required at one operation will be understood from thefollowing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of such apparatus; and Fig.2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a detail view of that part of theSpecification of Letters Patent.

?at ented Mar. 116, 1915.

Serial No. 803,699.

apparatus which holds the tubular blanks in line with the shaping dies.

In these figures, the apparatus embodies a female shaping die 2 ofsuitable length, which is circular at one end 3 and of the same diameteras the external diameter of the circular tubes or tubular blanks l, butgradually and uniformly altering its shape from the circular end 3toward the other end 4. (lo-acting with this female die 2, is a maleshaping die 5 also circular at one end 3 but corresponding in diameterto the internal diameter of circular tubes or blanks 1. This alsogradually and uniformly alters its shape from the circular end 3 towardthe other end 4-. The female die 2 is a fixture being secured to the bedplate '3, but the male die 5 is mounted freely in the female one, andthus between these two dies, there is left a free space corresponding tothe thickness of the tubular blanks 1, and the two dies in conjunctionform a. matrix. For instance if the circular tubes are to betransformed. into rectangular on s having two oftheir sides wider thanthe other two sides, the two dies 2 and 5 would gradually change fromthe circular form into the rectangular form in cross section, the format the delivery end 4 giving the final shape into which the tubes are tobe transformed.

At one end of the female shaping die 2 (namely the circular end), a pairof half dies 7 and 31 are provided, into which the circular tubes arefed automatically by means of the sloping chute 28, down which suchtubes or blanks can roll by gravity into the half die 7, so that theycome to rest one by one in front of the circular end of the female die.One of these half dies 7 is a fixture, being supported on a suitablepedestal, but the other half die 31 is hinged thereto by a spring hinge37, so that it can be opened on its hinge to receive a tubular blank, orclosed to press a tubular blank down into the fixed half die, and insureit lying in line with the annular space between the shaping dies. Thehinged half die is caused to open and close automatically at intervalsby a revolving cam 33 working against roller 35 at the end of an arm 36projecting from the hinged half die 31. In line witn the female die atthe feeding end, is a plunger 8 adapted to be reciprocated either bymeans of a cam 9 or in other suitable manner, and the end of thisplunger has blanks that have been previously pressed in,

a further length onward, and forcing the foremost or finished one out ofthe dies at the delivery end, the form of the final shape given to thetubes, depending entirely on the form of the dies at the delivery end.In line with the dies at the delivery end, is a reciprocating finger 11,adapted to come against the end of the male die 5, and form a stop, topr vent the male die being driven out, at the moment when the plunger 8is pushing the tubular blanks in between the dies. When the plunger 8has pushed a tubular blank between the male and female dies, the plunger8 moves back the cam 83 operates to open the half die 31 just far enoughto allow another blank to roll down the chute 28, and escape into thespace between the two half dies. half die 31 closes again by the actionof a spring hinge, and presses the tubular blank between the two halfdies, so that the tube is held in the exact position required to beforced between the shaping dies when the plunger moves forward again.This half die has a chamfer or bevel 39 at its edge, so that in closingit forces the succeeding tube in the chute 28 back clear of the saidhalf die, and forms a stop which keeps the succeeding tubular blanks inthe chute, and prevents them following the one that has escaped. Thestrip 38 prevents the blanks rising out of the chute 28. Simultaneouslywith the moving back of the plunger 8, the finger 11 at the other endreciprocates back also, and frees the shaped tube 1 that has beendelivered from the dies, so that it can fall into a receiving hopper.The plunger 8 now moves forward again, pushing a tubular blank betweenthe dies, pressing the tubular blanks already between the dies a stepforward, and discharging the foremost one at the delivery end on to thefinger 11, the tubular blanks being gradually and uniformly shapedduring their longitudinal passage between the dies, and so the action isrepeated each time the plunger reciprocates forward. The finger 11 movesagainst the male portion of the die, each time the plunger presses atubular blank between the shaping dies, and so acts as a prop to preventthe male die 5 being driven out or becoming wedged, but it moves clearof the delivered tube simultaneously with the rear ward motion of theplunger 8, withdrawing itself from the finished tube which latter cannotfollow owing to it coming against an abutment 12, and so frees afinished tube at each stroke. To prevent any liability of the deliveredtube sticking to the adjacent one, a spring finger 13 may be providedThe said hinged which pressing against the foremost or finished tube,forces it off the adjacent one, and compels it to fall down into thedelivery receptacle when the finger 11 is drawn clear.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the sliding plunger 8 is guidedin suitable bearings 14, and by the crosshead 15 sliding between theguide bars 16. The plunger is caused to slide by the stud l7 engagingthe cam grooves 9 in the revolving drum, which is secured to the shaft18 driven by the pulley 19. This shaft 18 has also fixed thereto the cam33. The finger 11 is secured to the arm 20 adjustably fixed on thesliding rod mounted inbearings 22, and guided by the crosshead 23sliding between the guide bars 24:. It also is caused to slide by'a stud25 engaging the cam groove 9. The shape of this cam groove is such thatthe plunger 8 and finger 11 are caused to approach each othersimultaneously to perform the functions herein before mentioned, alsoreceded from each other simultaneously. 7 V

' The dies are heated by gas jets 26, or by steam jackets or in othersuitable manner, so as to heat the tubular blanks 1 as they are shapedbetween the dies 2 and 5, and thus assist in the tubular blanks beingpermanently altered in shape; or if desired the lower part of the die 2may be heated to a higher temperature than the'upper part, so as to givea greater permanent set to one part, than to another part.

The plunger 8 and its operating mechanism can be arranged to make acomparatively slow forward In vement, but a quick return, and allowsufficient interval for a tubular blank to take up its position, readyto be pushed between theshaping dies on the This can easily be effectedby making the came groove 9 of the desired shape or curvature;

The female die 2' is made in two halves firmly clamped together, butcapable of separation when required. 27 is a handle for lifting the topdie off when unclamped from the lower half. The male die is supportedcentrally in the female die bythe tubular blanks 1, and endwise movementof the male die is prevented by the finger or stop 11 aforesaid. V 7 c cI declare that what I claim is 7 1. An apparatus for shaping circulartubes of cardboard or like material into rectangular or other suitableshapein cross section, comprising in combination I a central mandrel ormale die and an outer tubular former or female die between which the'tubes are longitudinally propelled, boththe said dies having at theentrant end a circular cross sectional outline with an annular spacebetween corresponding to the size of the tube, and gradually changinguntil at the exit end they cor.-

respond to the cross sectional outline it is desired the finished tubeshall present.

2. In apparatus for shaping circular tubes of cardboard or like materialinto rectangular or other suitable shape in cross section, thecombination of a female die, a male die supported centrally within it bytubular blanks, means for heating the dies, a reciprocating plungeradapted to push the tubular blanks longitudinally into the space betweenthe male and female dies, while at the same time pushing the tubularblanks which have been already pressed in, a further length outward, anda reciprocating finger located in line with the dies at the delivery endfor preventing endwise move ment of the male die within the female one.

3. In apparatus for shaping circular tubes of cardboard or like materialinto rectangular or other suitable shape in cross section, thecombination with a male die of a female shaping die, a pair of half dieslocated at one end of the female die means for feeding the tubularblanks automatically into said half dies, so that they come to rest oneby one in front of the female shaping die.

4. In apparatus for shaping circular tubes of cardboard or like materialinto rectangular or other suitable shape, the combination of shapingdies one within the other, the inner one being supported centrallywithin the other by the tubular blanks, a pair of half dies at theentrant end to the shaping dies, one of which half dies is hinged to theother, a feeding chute for the tubular blanks, a cam for opening thehinged half dies to allow a blank to escape from the chute into thespace between the half dies and close the same, and a bevel or chamferat the edge of the hinged die for the purpose of pressing back thesucceeding blanks in the chute from following the one that has escaped.

5. In apparatus for sha ing circular tubes of cardboard or like materialinto rectangular or other suitable shape, the combination with a femaledie and a male die supported centrally within it by the tubular blanks,of a reciprocating plunger adapted to push the tubular blanks betweenthe dies, a reciprocating finger located in line with the dies at thedelivery end and adapted to prevent the male die being driven out of thefemale die when the plunger at the other end is pushing the tubularblanks in between the dies.

6. In apparatus for shaping circular tubes of cardboard or like materialinto rectangular or other suitable shape, the combination with thefemale die and the male die supported centrally within it by the tubularblanks, a plunger for pushing the tubular blanks between the dies at theentrant end, and a reciprocating finger located in line with the dies atthe delivery end, of an abutment located somewhat in advance of thedelivery end of the dies and in such a position as to form a stop forthe finished tubes that are discharged from the dies.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 20 day of Nov.,1913, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES l/VALLACE PATON. l/Vitnesses:

G. C. DYMOND, W. WI-IOOBRIDGE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

